A year ago, the federal Conservative government closed down the prison farm at Kingston’s Frontenac Institution and shipped the 250-head award-winning dairy herd off for auction.
A year later, prison farm advocates including National Farmers Union activists and the federal Liberal Party continue to protest the Conservative decision and to insist that it be reversed.
Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae was in Kingston Aug. 7 for the protest. He was joined by rookie Kingston Liberal rookie MP Ted Hsu and recently defeated Toronto area MP Mark Holland, who led the fight in the last Parliament against the farm closings.
Rae said in a statement that the government decision was wrong and should be reversed. Prison farms across Canada taught inmates a work ethic and work with animals was therapeutic.
He said parliamentary hearings found “widespread” opposition to the government decision.
When the Conservatives decided to close prison farms in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick, they argued that the farming skills taught to inmates are irrelevant in a modern economy.
Political critics said that attitude was a slap in the face for farmers who are a key base of Conservative support.
But the farms have been closed down, dairy herds sold, equipment auctioned and contracts signed with food suppliers who will replace produce for prison meals once produced by the farms.
The Conservatives have made it clear they have no intention of re-establishing the prison farm system.
This week, the Save Our Prison Farms committee organizer and NFU activist Dianne Dowling said weekly protests will continue because the government decision was wrong.
The tough-on-crime agenda will create more prisoners while Correction Services Canada has fewer rehabilitation programs available, she said.
